


30 Day OTP Challenge: This Train Has No Breaks

by call_me_taurustastic



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: 30 Day OTP Challenge, Angst, Cute, Excessive Fluff, Explicit Language, F/M, Fluff, Homophobic Language, Implied Sexual Content, Jealousy, M/M, Minor Injuries, Minor Violence, Racist Language, Ryan and Ray know each other from high school but thats kind of all that I changed, Sexual Content, Sometimes OOC, besides them totally being in love, but only mentioned if they arent in a pairing that i tagged, kind of a high school!au, only in the beginning though, pretty much everyone in RT
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-09
Updated: 2014-09-28
Packaged: 2018-02-16 18:08:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 17,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2279574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/call_me_taurustastic/pseuds/call_me_taurustastic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The R&R Connection has a severe lacking of appreciation, so I figured, I should bring a bit more light into the pairing's lives. Bring it on!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Day 1: Holding Hands

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is actually my first fanfiction for the fandom, even more so, the first fanfiction I've ever written and posted. I hope it's good enough for you all to enjoy. This pairing doesn't get enough love, so I figured, why not write thirty small(?) fanfictions about them to make up for the severe lacking of it? Ryan Haywood and Ray Narvaez Jr. give me life.
> 
> Warning: This chapter contains homophobic and racial slurs, and some quick detailed violence near the end. Also, bullying. It's kind of a hard chapter.

Ray was never a one to converse with people if he didn't have to. He was always the kid who sat alone at a lunch table playing with Yu-Gi-Oh cards or trying to perfect his team in Pokemon while everyone else went off to chatter about football games and school dances, stuff that Ray didn't particularly care about. He was focused more on video games than he was on school work, even if he did get above-passing grades in his classes. He figured that if he finished his work and it was decent enough, he could get back to perfecting his gaming even sooner and not have to worry about a tongue lashing from his parents. Of course, being the geeky quiet kid in school came with a few ups and downs. On the upside, most people left him be and he didn't have many problems with his teachers or parents about it. On the downside... There were a few people that made up rumors, saying that he was some kind of freak at home or when nobody was looking, that he killed animals or something of the like. Ray never paid attention to it though, or at least he tried. What did he care? He didn't know these people and they didn't know him.

He was fine up until things started getting physical. He would walk from class to class in the hallways as any student would, but instead of just being glanced at, a group of kids had recently begun giving him shoulder checks during passing and tripping him whenever he'd walk down the stairs and they happened to be in each other's field of vision. He was more annoyed than anything that it kept happening to him, but he'd deal. Most of these guys were upperclassmen and would be out of here the following school year, while Ray would move up to the Sophomore level and be one step closer to getting out himself.

One afternoon once school had ended, after retrieving his things from his locker and packing his stuff to get going, a hand slammed on the cold metal of the locker next to his head. Ray jumped, turning to see three larger boys staring down at him. Being a scrawny kid, Ray was a twig compared to the giants looming above him. "Well, well, well, look what we got here boys. Spick 'n Span's got his wittle video games and comic books!" The middle man snatched his bag and shook the contents onto the floor, his gameboy clattering onto the plastic tiles with a sound he found to be almost torture.

"Cut it out, that was a gift!" Ray shouted, trying to dive for it as he was caught by the collar of his shirt and practically lifted from the floor and slammed into the lockers behind him. They took turns threatening and hurling insults at him, and it was at that point that he'd felt a pang of fear slip into his system, he felt like he was going to get absolutely demolished and his possessions would be in ruins.

Ryan, on the other hand, had other plans. He had always been one to stand up for others. It only made sense that if someone was in an obvious need for help, someone should help, right? This mindset that he'd had nearly his entire life was what compelled him to step in while the other teenagers were clearing the hallway, leaving it desolate except for the group, the kid and himself. 

"Hey!" A deep, baritone voice echoed from the end of the hallway. "What the hell do you think you guys are doing? Put him down!" Ray figured a teacher was the one that had saved him from sporting a black eye in the morning, but when he turned his head, his heart thumped as he realized that Ryan Haywood, the lead actor in every school play put on that year and the previous years so far, according to his older friends, had come to his rescue. He was put down instantly, quickly scrambling to pick up his things while the much larger man chased off his attackers with a stern and threatening look.

"How many times do I have to tell you baffoons, bullying the underclassmen isn't going to get you anywhere but put out of any upcoming school functions. Get out of my sight before I have to toss you out like the trash you're acting like." The men grumbled a few curses and insults as they left down the empty halls. Ryan sighed, he hated seeing stuff like that and intended to stop it whenever he came across it. "Are you okay?" He said, bending down to help the scrawny young boy pick up his things. Ray was handed a stack of papers, his head lifted and he nodded.

"Yeah, I-I'm fine.. Thanks for-- You know. Saving my ass. I would've died if they did something to my Gameboy.." 

"It's no problem. You looked like you could have used a little help anyway." Ryan smiled. 

Having a brick for a gaming console did wonders, there wasn't a scratch on it. The game inside still worked, too. He felt relieved once he was sure everything was fine, and he was about to leave when he realized Ryan was still there. "Um.. I'm Ray. Ray Narvaez Jr. You're Ryan Haywood, right? My friends told me about you.. They said you were really nice."

"I'm glad you think so. They're right, in case you needed a confirmation. I won't hurt you. Do you need a ride home or anything?" Ryan didn't know what came over him, maybe it was just his natural fatherly nature that made him feel so suddenly protective of the boy now standing, only reaching up to his shoulders, just barely. "I'd be happy to take you home."

"Nah, it's cool man. My dad's already waiting outside, he'll be pissed if I don't hurry out to him. Thanks anyway. See you around." Ray shouted, already rushing down the hallway and out the front doors of the school.

That night, Ray laid in bed thinking about today's encounter. The most popular guy in school defended him without question, it's not everyday that something like that happens to someone. The Puerto Rican couldn't help but think about the way Ryan had looked at him, a mixture of worry and curiosity, a dash of excitement over making a new friend and a sprinkle of pity. Quite the handsome expression considering it was paired with steely blue eyes, a strong jaw, sandy blond locks and a smile that could melt even the iciest heart. He was smiling so hard he might split his face in two by the time he had awoken from his daydream. He'd have to get to know this Ryan guy a little more.

-

Hours turned to days, days turned to weeks, weeks turned to months. It had been four months since Ray had his first encounter with Ryan, and in those four months, they had received ugly glances from that group of bullies (which Ryan gladly chased away), and they'd grown to be quite the pair. You would almost never see one without the other by their side if they weren't in class. They talked daily and texted nightly until one of them fell asleep, Skype was always a way to keep in contact and still do other things without getting so distracted. Some people thought they were a couple, an item, and they'd have to correct the thinker without getting flustered and red faced, both of them failing each time someone were to ask that same question. Ray smiled happily as he and Ryan walked down the hallways of the school, things from their lockers neatly packed and their minds dead set on getting home as fast as they could to talk some more and watch Ryan lose to a visciously sore winner Ray. They were stopped, however, once they rounded the back towards the student parking lot by the same three kids plus a couple more that had nearly beaten Ray on the day they met.

"Hey, Ryan." The shortest of the group spoke up, grinning as the others stepped closer, backing them up against the nearest wall. Ray instinctively hid behind his bulkier companion, swallowing thickly as Ryan stood tall, puffing out his chest to look a little more intimidating. "So uh, we know you and fag boy over there have been quite the hot topic lately. I'm sick of seeing you two everywhere hangin' all over each other, so my friends and I have come to make things a little easier on everyone's eyes. Right boys?"

"Ryan.." Ray mumbled, biting his lip.

"They're not gonna touch you. Not while I can do anything about it." Ryan replied. One of the taller males in the group suddenly shot forward to catch the thespian off guard, grabbing Ryan by the lapels on his jacket and slamming him to the floor, pinning him there as two other goons out of the five that were there grabbed Ray. Ray let out a small shout, almost a squeal as he was hoisted into the air and up against the wall.

"Now, where did we leave off last time?" the leader of the group cracked his knuckles as Ray squirmed, trying to get out of their bruising grip, but he quickly stopped when a fist was brutally plunged forward against his stomach, knocking the wind completely out of him. The two holding him against the wall cackled in his ears as he fell forward after each hit. It all was happening so fast. He could feel the pain spreading throughout his body, he could feel the bruises already forming, the black and blue of his midsection developing as they beat him senseless. He was this guy's personal punching bag.

"No!! Stop it, stop!!" Ryan cried out. It went on for minutes on end before Ryan's vision faded into a deep red. He growled, suddenly jerking enough to send the assailant pinning him down to the ground next to him. The blond shot up, grabbing the man currently beating into his friend's body by his hair. He was focused on one thing and one thing only, to avenge a broken promise and make up for letting it get this bad.

"What the fuck--" He began, cut off by the swift connection of Ryan's fist to his jaw. The man fell and Ryan was on top of him in seconds, wailing down blow after blow into his face and collarbone. His friends were all standing in shock, including Ray. None of them expected to see Ryan in such a state of anger. The silence was deafening except for the wet slap of skin on skin and the occasional grunts coming from the two men. Ray was the first to react, realizing he let this go on for longer than it should have. Despite the growing pain in his chest and abdomen, he dove forward, grabbing Ryan's balled up fist in both of his own hands.

"Enough, Ryan! He's had enough! Stop!" he shouted, eyes pleading as he looked down at Ryan's twisted face.

The anger that had clouded any rational thoughts seemed to melt away instantly as his eyes met with the boy's, only to be replaced with regret. He stood without another word, not trusting his quivering voice to say something that could explain his actions. He grabbed Ray's hand in his own and tugged him towards his car, leaving the group that attacked him to take care of their "fearless leader".


	2. Day 2: Cuddling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter since I uploaded the last one this morning. I'm gonna put another one up now because college is hectic and I want to so there. I hope you guys like the last chapter, the entire challenge is just gonna be a continuation from 1 to 30.
> 
> Warning: There is a bit of blood and bruising, but if you read chapter one, you'd know why.

The car ride was silent. Not comfortable, but not awkward. Just silent.

Ray was lost in his thoughts, trying to comprehend that their day was going so well and was going to continue to go well until the events of a mere few minutes ago went down and sent jolts of pain through Ray's body. Ryan had defended him fearlessly, to which Ray was thankful, but he may have done just a bit too much damage. There was no doubt in his mind that Ryan was for sure going to get suspended. Seeing as he had some of the highest proficiency scores in the school, as well as straight A's, he doubt he would have to be anything more than suspended for a few days. The faculty loved him, how could you not? He was pulled from his thoughts as the searing pain in his abdomen reminded him that yes, he had indeed just been beaten to a pulp and was now sitting in a rumbling, slightly jostling car.

Ryan was focused on driving as Ray delved deeper into his subconscious. He had just beaten a kid senseless and he was blacked out for the most part doing it. What had come over him? The thespian was so focused on his driving that he didn't realize he'd fallen into his routine he had set up for when he was upset or stressed, or anything of the like. He would get in his car, drive far away from where he lived, and stop at the pond just on the outskirts of town to relax and watch the animals and people converse and chitter-chatter about. The blond stepped from the car, Ray following close behind, and sat in a spot underneath a tree, guarded by the shade and secluded from most of the noises coming from the park. Ray sat next to him with a grunt and a sigh, staring out onto the glassy surface of the water.

It was silent a few minutes more before Ryan spoke up. "Listen, I uh.. I just--" He was cut off, Ray's hand over his mouth.

"I know." Ray replied. "You were looking out for me, and I think it's okay. You made the right choice. Though, I have to admit, you did go a little overboard. He's not gonna come out of this looking pretty, you know." Ray chuckled, not noticing that Ryan had subconsciously scooted closer. His strong arm was slung around Ray's shoulders with a smile, and Ray leaned into his embrace, taking a few extra moments to find a comfortable position in which his body didn't scream at him to move. Platonic cuddles, ain't no thang. Ryan hadn't thought of it as anything but a friendly gesture. Hell, this is normal for friends right? Right?

In return, Ray rested his head upon Ryan's chest. He just needed someone to hold him, albeit lightly, Ryan looked like he needed it too. All of this would be sorted out in the morning, it'll be okay. Ray sighed again, calmly and contently as he snuggled into the tree's bark and Ryan's shirt. It'll all be figured out in the morning. Right now, all he needed to think about was sitting here under this tree with his crush as he was consoled. They helped each other through the events that took place with talks, mostly Ryan being the one talking, and jokes, mostly on Ray's part. It was nice for the time that it lasted.

Wait, crush?


	3. Day 3: Playing Video Games/Watching A Movie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I didn't expect it to be read so quickly within a few hours. :U Thanks guys, you're all awesome little nugs.
> 
> Note: I'll probably be uploading sporadically throughout the day seeing as I was originally wanting to begin at the beginning of the month, but I'm already nine days in. Expect to see anywhere from four to nine chapters done and uploaded by the end of the day.

Ryan was on his third day of his week-long suspension from school. It wasn't really a suspension, more of a school away from school situation. He had classmates that could give him the lessons and homework, so staying caught up was not a problem. He was free to do as he pleased, his parents believed that if he beat up a student as self defense or in the defense of another, then the assailant who started it was at fault. He could drive, he could play video games and order out, he was golden. Ryan was on a week long vacation from the hectic and stressful environment known as high school. Speaking of high school, they should be getting out of class in about an hour, meaning that Ray would be getting out of class and he wouldn't have to spend the day alone anymore. Being an only child sucked huge balls sometimes. Ryan decided to grab his phone, sending his companion a text.

 

> Rye-bread: Hey Ray.
> 
> Raytage: dude, youre texting me in class. such rebel. much fearless. :U
> 
> Rye-bread: Shut up. Tell your parents that I'll be picking you up today.
> 
> Raytage: seriously? where are we going?
> 
> Rye-bread: Just back to my place so I can finally kick your ass in Halo. I've been preparing. Training. You shall be demolished.
> 
> Raytage: you better be in the parking lot when school gets out. prepare to get rekt.
> 
>  

The blond couldn't help but smile a little at the texts he sent and received. He was excited to see his best friend again, to hear his laugh and see him smile, just to see Ray looking back at him was a treat in and of itself. Ryan sat daydreaming for a few minutes more until he realized his daydreams were turning to fantasies. He shook his head, trying to rid it of any other-than-platonic thoughts, but he kept running back to Ray. He was lean, almost feminine if it weren't for the beard he sported at his "too young to have one" age. He was intelligent, for sure, he had the grades to back him up on it. He shared a lot of the same interests with Ryan, video games, cartoons, music, movies, even some of the same books. Ryan loved to be around Ray, and he knew that Ray loved being around Ryan. Did he really have... Feelings for Ray?

No. He wasn't gay. He'd always like girls, always been attracted to females. Ray was probably straight anyhow, it would freak him out should he be told of Ryan's.. Whatever. He wasn't gay... Maybe? He thought to himself a little, he was definitely open minded, but he did find females attractive. Maybe bisexual? Who cares, he could work out the details later.

"I mean, it would make sense, right?" He spoke to himself. "People already think we're a couple, and we work well together.. Maybe we should be. I don't mind the idea, I kind of like it actually. Calling Ray my boyfriend... Ray Narvaez Jr., boyfriend to Ryan Haywood. Kind of has a ring to it... I don't know... Ugh, why do hormones have to take a toll on my thought process?" Ryan groaned, pressing the heels of his hands to his eyes, letting out a deep, frustrated sigh. He would just let things go over smoothly tonight, not over-do anything or over-think anything. It would be fine. Everything would be fine.

 

-

 

 "Come on, this controller's fucking busted, you cheater!!" Ray squealed, flinging his body back and forth as if it would get him a higher score any faster.

"Nah, maybe you've just lost your edge, BrownMan. I told you I'd kick your ass today, and here I am proving myself right!" Ryan let out a deep, rumbling laugh as he sniped Ray for the fourth time that round, sending the game to completion. He cheered for himself and his victory, shooting his hands in the air as the round ended. Ray, frustrated, chucked the "broken" controller to the basket next to the tv that held all of Ryan's kind of expensive gaming gear. "Oh come on," Ryan spoke. "I told you I'd been practicing. Do you know how big this is for me? Beating the invincible and majestic Ray Narvaez Jr. in a game that he's never lost in?" Ray smiled a little, shaking his head.

"I still think you cheated, but if you're proud of yourself, I guess I am too. You dirty cheater." A hand was extended to shake Ryan's own. "GG Ryan. GG." Ray chuckled and sat back against the couch, sighing softly before shooting up and b-lining straight for Ryan's kitchen.

"Dude, where are you going?" Ryan asked, his head facing back towards the screen to set up some other game. "I'm fucking starving, I need nourishment."

"You and I both know that there's nothing in that fridge you find edible."

"True, but that won't stop me from looking anyway. You never know. One of these days, I could be walking into fucking Narnia or something. Little half-goat half-person guy might need me to save some kingdom from an ice bitch and be the pseudo-son of a talking lion."

"You're an idiot."

"Your mom."

Ryan rolled his eyes and stood, walking to the kitchen to see Ray, bent over and digging through drawer after drawer of food they both knew Ray wasn't even looking at. Ryan made an effort not to stare at Ray's ass, it was disrespectful, even if it was cute. He sighed, speaking up so Ray could hear him over the rustling of plastic bags and packages. He needed food that was high in cholesterol and sugars to function properly, vegetables weren't going to cut it. "You know, we could always go out for food. I know this great pizza place that--" Ryan was cut off by the sudden shout of "Race you to the car!" given by the small Puerto Rican and he smiled, shaking his head with a laugh.

"I think I'll let you win this one, since you let me win during the game."

"Yeah, whatever."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahahah these are probably gonna be short like this from now on because I can't fucking write ahahah


	4. Day 4: On A Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so this is amazing, you guys have been so supportive so far and it means a lot. Big confidence boost for J! Thank you all for reading. This chapter is kind of like, an involuntary date. They're so in sync with each other that people think they're a couple. You know those kind of people. It's cute. Definitely my favorite chapter to write so far! And in case anyone was wondering about ages, Ray is a freshman in high school, so about 14 or 15 years old, and Ryan is a senior, so 17 or 18. There won't be any sex between them until Ray is over 18 (spoiler alert), but I really wanted to try and keep the age gap as far apart as possible so that they can still meet without being in a different scenario and actually bringing them both to be the same age.
> 
> I'M ALSO GOING TO ADD, THE BEST WAY TO READ THIS CHAPTER IS WITH THE SONG "FOOLED AROUND AND FELL IN LOVE" BY ELVIN BISHOP PLAYING IN THE BACKGROUND ONCE THEY GET ON THE FERRIS WHEEL. YOU'LL KNOW WHEN YOU GET THERE. TRUST ME. IT'S BEAUTIFUL.

Ray didn't expect them to be sitting in the car for so long if they were just going to get pizza. They'd passed so many shops that Ray could have easily ate all they had in stock from, but seeing as they were on the highway, Ray was more confused than ever. "Uh, Ryan?" He said, glancing around outside of the window. "I know you said we're going to go get pizza or something, but.. Why are we on the freeway? You're not gonna kill me and then dump my body in a hole are you? At least leave my clothes on if you are, I deserve some dignity."

Ryan laughed a little, leaning back to relax in the driver's seat. "No, not this time. Maybe next time I lose I'll throw you in a hole like an animal." In his best impression of Buffalo Bill, he took his eyes away from the road to stare directly at Ray with his creepiest and most menacing face. "It puts the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again."

"Oh my god, stop. Dude eyes on the road!!" Ray shouted, turning his head and shielding his eyes from the look his friend was giving him. Ryan could only laugh a little harder as he turned his face back to the road. A sign above the freeway stated that the coastline wasn't too far away, maybe a mile or two. They'd been driving for nearly half an hour and their destination was almost upon them. "Wait, are we going to The Boardwalk?" Ray stated, already seeing the lights pressed against the setting sun. "I've always wanted to go, holy shit! You know we're gonna walk around and play shit, right?" He was getting as giddy as a schoolgirl seeing the approaching rides and the crystal blue water beneath them. It was beautiful.

"We are, actually. The only pizza I can eat without gagging from the grease and cardboard taste of the dough is down here. Best pizza in New York, the only pizza I'd drive 40 miles for. You're never gonna wanna go back to pizza like Domino's or Papa John's ever again, Ray." They pulled into the parking lot and Ray could already hear the shouts of excited children and parents alike. He didn't notice the big smile on his face and the happy little glint in his eyes, but Ryan did. Ryan didn't know how much Ray had wanted to come, so he guessed it was a bonus added onto the thought of delicious and mouth-watering pizza. He could go for a different type of game other than electronic anyway. It might be fun.

Ray was already running towards the amusement park before Ryan caught up and grabbed him. "Dude, not yet. Food first, I'm starving." Ryan almost dragged a slightly whimpering Ray away from the entrance and into a row of shops and eateries. Half of the boardwalk was littered with tables and umbrellas to cover, the other side had shops filled with customers and food stands that were a rush to the senses. He could practically taste each and every item they served just from the aroma. Ryan stopped in a line that wasn't too long and smiled. "So, I know you like three-meat pizza," the blond began. "But I have to have you try their Hawaiian pizza, and their chicken alfredo. Think you can eat two slices? They're bigger than your fat head." He jested and a hand ruffled Ray's hair. Ray slapped it away with a smile, looking up to the bulkier gentlemen that was his companion.

"I can eat as much as I want, and right now, I might have to go back for seconds if the slices are small. Did you forget I have the incredible ability to eat two entire deep-dish pizzas alone?"

"I did, my apologies. I'm just saying though, they're huge."

"You know what else is huge?"

"Ray, don't--"

"MY PENIS."

Ryan rolled his eyes and covered his face with a sigh, even though there was a small smile on his face. _You dork._ Ray walked around with a hand in the air and the other over his mouth, walking circles around Ryan as he shouted a collective "OOOOOOHHHHHH" into the air. The line moved forward, leaving Ryan to step up while Ray's back was turned, voluntarily leaving Ray with an embarrassed look on his face as he realized he'd been left behind. Ryan smiled once he reached the counter, ordering for the both of them. Ray was about to pull out his wallet and pay for his own, but Ryan placed a hand on top of Ray's shoulder and shook his head. "Oh no you don't. I'm buying. My treat."

"Common dude, I'm not gonna make you pay. That's for assholes and gold diggers."

"I insist. Put away your wallet." Ryan replied, already handing the amount of cash to the cashier and taking the change and two plates of pizza away from the counter. Ray followed with his own plates as they were handed to him, and once they reached a table, Ray sat staring at them for a few minutes. "Dude, you were right.. These things are massive.. You sure they aren't just one giant triangular pizza? Are these meant to be shared?" Ray picked up one of his slices and his eyes widened. He had to use both palms to hold it steady and even still it drooped on one side. "Better get eating." Ryan said, a mouth full of Hawaiian style and an eager grin on his face.

Ray's reaction did not disappoint.

Ray was hesitant on where to start, settling for the very tip. He opened his mouth wide and chomped, pulling back to stare at the web of cheese that stretched and snapped with a satisfying pop. He chewed for a few seconds, to which Ryan slowly leaned in, a growing smile on his face. Ray stopped entirely, his face blank. Ryan waited. Ray's face shot to Ryan's, and the Puerto Rican spoke with tears brimming in his eyes. "Have I ever told you how much you rock?" Ray spoke in a shaky voice as he dove in to practically inhale the rest of the slice.

"You're such a drama queen, stupid ass." Ryan laughed loudly, genuinely at Ray's reaction as he continued to dig into his own slice. "I told you they were good. Best pizza in New York!"

They spent the rest of the time in a comfortable silence, focusing on the flavors that were booming in their mouths. Once they were done, Ray stood and stretched, smiling contently at Ryan. "Now we can go play around like little kids, right?"

"I thought you would forget. Yeah, why the hell not. We're here anyway. You don't have to be home soon, do you?" Ray shook his head. He'd already texted his parents and let them know where he was to which they'd only told him to be back by midnight. They knew he never slept, they could hear the muffled gunshots from his games and the curses from their bedroom late at night. As long as he kept his grades up and didn't get in trouble, they didn't care. That, and they knew he was with Ryan. Ryan was a good boy and a good influence. They also knew how Ray looked at him when he thought no one else was. They knew how happy Ryan made him and how much he's grown just from being around him. They knew Ryan was making him a better person, and they even hoped it would stay that way.

Ray ran off again, leaving Ryan in the dust as he hurried to keep up. Ray stopped abruptly at the ticket booth, rushing to get a band before Ryan could ~~force Ray to put away his money~~ offer to pay. He smirked and shouted triumphantly as he was let past the turnstile. Ryan shook his head again, now taking his time to get inside. "I would have payed for you, you know. It's nothing off my wallet."

"Exactly. You already paid for my kind of expensive pizza, I wasn't gonna let you pay for my kind of expensive ticket too." Ray smiled up at all the lights and rides, and throughout the night, he was bouncing from booth to booth trying to win a prize and outrun Ryan at every chance he got. Ryan, on the other hand, was more focused on Ray himself. He didn't care too much for carnival games and rides himself, but if it made Ray happy, he was happy. _God, what's the matter with me?.. Why does it make my chest tight every time he laughs?.. I think I might.. I--_

He was pulled from his thoughts by Ray's hand waving in front of his face. "Hey, are you even paying attention to me? I feel so neglected right now." Ray spoke, and Ryan jumped a little as he focused on the Puerto Rican currently standing in front of him with an expectant look on his face. "So no, you weren't. Rude. Well, let me repeat myself. I said, do you wanna go on the ferris wheel? Gotta save the best attraction for last."

"But, I thought you hated heights."

"Yolo, right?"

"What does that even mean?"

"You only live once. Saw it on an episode of Dragonball and-- Ugh, just come on."

Ray grinned wide, grabbing Ryan by the arm. Ryan smirked his lopsided smirk and allowed himself to be dragged across the park to the very edge of the pier. He listened closely to the song playing above all the carnival games and screaming kids. "I love this song.." He muttered.

Elvin Bishop, a classic.

They stood in line for a few minutes before they reached the gate. Once it opened, Ray spoke up. "Uh, I-I think I changed my mind. Come on, let's get out of here." He was about to turn before Ryan grabbed his arm in return. "Oh no you don't." He said, a now wicked grin on his features. "You said it yourself, yolo." Ray squirmed helplessly as he realized his fate and settled down. The bar came down across their laps and Ray was gripping it with white knuckles. "Ray, calm down. Nothing is gonna happen to you. I'm right here, I'll catch you should you fall off for some ungodly reason." Ryan settled an arm across the back of the bench they were sitting in as Ray leaned back, trying his hardest not to rock it. He jumped when the machine started to move, and throughout each stop he grew more and more afraid as he was lifted higher in the air. "This was a stupid idea, I'm gonna die. This is how it all ends. Tell my mother I love her and--"

"Ray, open your eyes." The raven haired boy stopped talking abruptly, cracking open one eye hesitantly before looking down, practically screaming and scrambling to cling onto Ryan's shirt. "OH FUCK OH FUCK OH FUCK--" He shouted, shutting his eyes again. The seat they were in rocked back and forth with the sudden motion, and Ryan's heart thumped in his chest as he realized how close Ray had gotten. He swallowed his nervousness and spoke up again. "Ray, I said open your eyes, not open them and look down, you dope. Look up." Ray shook his head. "Fuck that shit, I'm staying right here just like this until we get off."

"Ray." Ryan said sternly. He took matters into his own hands as he turned Ray's face up to point towards the sky. "Open. I'm not gonna let anything happen to you." Surprisingly, not really, Ray felt the urge to believe him. He slowly opened his tightly shut eyes, only to have them widen as his jaw dropped just a bit.

The sky was lit up like the Fourth of July, he could see the various stars and patterns that graced the inky blackness of the night, each pattern connecting as if they were a puzzle in a children's coloring book. There wasn't a cloud in the sky to ruin such a perfect picture. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and stared in awe. It was like billions and billions of fireflies were hovering just out of reach, each one flickering in the atmosphere as if they were putting on a personal light show. They surrounded his vision, each star in the sky danced around the crescent moon in perfect formation. His lips turned up in a small, subtle smile as his eyes darted from constellation to constellation. He was speechless. Never in his life did he think he'd get to see something like this. He didn't know he needed this until just this moment.

Ryan smiled up at the sky, his eyes trailing from the stars against the backdrop to the smaller man beside him. His heart beat faster as he stared blatantly at Ray. Seeing him this happy and knowing he was the cause was something that brought him a sense of pride he was more than happy to embrace. Ray was still so close, his hand was still clutched in Ryan's shirt as he watched the night sky shimmer and gleam.

_Fuck, I've got it bad..._

He paused when he saw Ray's head turn to look at him, their faces were only a few inches apart. They sat like that a minute more, each one silently hoping that the moment would cease to end. Ryan glanced down at Ray's lips, Ray did the same. Ray was blushing beet red as he turned away, only the smallest hint of a smile was on his face. Ryan smiled too, looking in the opposite direction. Ray jumped again as the machine began to move, the larger of the two chuckled at him.

"Shut up!" Ray shouted, scooting back into his own space on the bench. All moments come to an end, right?


	5. Day 5: Kissing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a continuation from their pseudo-date, it's a short one guys, but I think it packs a punch. Thank you for all your support!

The car ride home was silent. Seems as though they always were. It wasn't that they hated talking or anything or that music was irritating or distracting. It just felt right for it to be silent. It was a comfortable silence. Content and quaint.

It had been about eleven o'clock at night by the time Ray was returned home. Ryan parked outside of the boy's house and turned to him with a smile. "So, did you have fun tonight?"

"Yeah actually, even though I almost died on that fucking ferris wheel. I almost fell to my death, I would've been a pancake. A blood-syrup covered bony pancake."

"You did not almost die, I was there the whole damn time!"

They argued a minute more before settling into a fit of shared laughter. Once the laughing calmed, though, it went back to silence. They sat in Ryan's car, this, this kind of silence was a little uncomfortable. Ryan spoke up finally after what seemed like an eternity but kept his eyes on the steering wheel. "You know, sometimes I forget you're a freshman. Is it weird to be hanging out with an underclassman all the time?" Ray shook his head and replied. "I don't think so. I mean, you look like you enjoy being around me a lot, and god only knows that I love being around you." He turned his head to stare out of the window, then back at his lap. "Was this a date?" Ray asked quietly. When he was met with more empty sound, he spoke again.

"Ryan, what are we?"

The thespian shifted in his seat, moving his eyes to glance at Ray from his peripheral. "I don't know.. What do you want to be?"

"That depends on what you want." Ray turned his head, biting his lip as he looked Ryan in the eye. His heart started to pound in his still-sore and bruised chest as he noticed that Ryan had turned as well. He swallowed when the blond move in closer, leaning over the center console slowly, giving Ray a chance to change his mind and run while he still could. Ray didn't run. Instead, he leaned forward, resting his forehead against Ryan's for a moment. His breath could be felt against his lips, warm and still smelling of that god-sent pizza. He could hear the blood rushing through his ears with how hard his heart was beating.

When he felt Ray refused to move away, Ryan took the plunge. His head tilted to the side and his lips were pressed against Ray's, sweet and slow. A jolt of what felt like electricity ran from their lips through their spines as they met in their first kiss. It was nothing heated, nothing like what the movies made a first hormone-filled teenage kiss out to be. It was quiet. It wasn't planned or spontaneous, it was that space in between and that was good enough for them. Only slight pressure was added, closed mouthed and hesitant. Ryan placed a hand on Ray's cheek as he pulled away, the dazed look on Ray's face made him smile. They sat quiet and looking at each other before Ray sat up straight again.

"So does this mean we're--"

"Dating? I-I guess so. Am I allowed to call you my boyfriend?"

"Only if I'm allowed to call you mine."

"Deal."

Ray smiled happily and opened the car door. The lights above the dash illuminated the car in a dim orange light and they could clearly see the red dusting each other's cheeks. "Um, I-I guess I'll text you later then, okay?"

"Yeah. Sounds great. See you soon, Ray."

Ray nodded as he shut the door, rushing inside the house with one last glance and one last wave as he shut the door. The Puerto Rican leaned against the door and slid down slowly to the wood paneling at the doorstep. He smiled like an idiot, letting out a deep sigh and a small squeal before he stood up and climbed the stairway to his room, but not before hearing a loud, deep voice cheering and hollering from the other side of the door, honking the horn in celebration as he drove away.


	6. Day 6: Wearing Each Other's Clothes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, we get out of the high school stage! Ryan is now 23 and Ray is 18! As always, thank you for the support and feedback! <3

Fast forward through the next five years.

Ryan had left as valedictorian of his graduating class, white robe and all. He and Ray were in a happy relationship all throughout the younger's freshman year in high school, not once were they physically touched by anyone that would turn their way with a dirty look. Ray would never admit it, but he cried when Ryan's name was called for his speech and diploma. He didn't want his boyfriend to go. Ryan had been accepted, and had already decided to go to a college back home in Georgia, meaning that for the four years he was in another state, he would have to be four years and thousands of miles away from Ray. Their goodbye was an emotional one, but they decided that being apart and seeing other people in the mean time was something neither of them could handle, so as a result, they began dating long distance. It put a small strain on their relationship, but never once did they tell each other they'd had enough. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder." Ryan would always tell him, and that would be enough to set a fire under his ass to keep this relationship alive.

Of course, Ray's parents had found out almost immediately after their first date that he'd begun a new relationship with Ryan. They waited for him to actually tell him, and they weren't surprised when he said it out loud for the first time in their presence. They didn't care who he loved, as long as they weren't a serial killer or a convicted felon. Ryan's parents, on the other hand, they weren't so accepting. Rather than disowning someone that could possibly pay their bills in the future as they rode on his coattails, they decided to ignore anything to do with Ray all together, never mentioning him themselves, and whenever he was, they would pretend he didn't exist. Ray's parents supported them both and their relationship all throughout his years in high school. Ryan and Ray would keep contact with each other as much as possible, the time setback only by an hour or so. They texted, called, Skyped, even sent letters the old fashioned way. It was almost perfect.

Ryan would always fly back for the holidays, stopping to see his parents first and then head straight over to spend as much time as he could with his boyfriend before he had to catch his flight back. Each time Ryan would have to leave, he'd leave a little bit of himself behind for Ray to keep to make him feel like Ryan were right there beside him. Usually, it was one of Ryan's t-shirts or sweaters, definitely oversized compared to Ray's growing but still skinny frame. He loved them either way, they always smelled like peach cobbler and Old Spice. A weird combination, but one that Ray thought was simply Ryan. He would sleep in them when he got lonely, and he'd taken to rewatching movies they watched together when Ray was a freshman on a weekly basis. It made him happy to know that Ryan was coming back every few months or so and to know that he was never really gone.

Ray's parents paid for him to stay out in Georgia to see Ryan on his college graduation day. Flight, hotel, food and gas, all paid for graciously. Ray really owed them one. As he did at the high school graduation ceremony, Ryan graduated top dog and Ray blubbered like a baby.

Graduation approached fast for the Puerto Rican, and when Ray let Ryan know the date and times, he was heartbroken to hear that his boyfriend wouldn't be able to fly out and make it. "I've got class that I can't miss and I'm already really backed up in all of my classes, baby.." He told him. "Plus, I don't have the money to fly out there again.. I'm so sorry, Ray... I'll send you as many gifts to make up for it as I can, I promise."

On the day of, Ray stood in the line dressed in his cap and gown, but instead of smiling the entire time, happy to be getting out of high school, he stood silently with a downdraught expression. The one person he really wanted to be there couldn't be and it really brought down his mood. He stepped onto the stage when his name was called out and he could hear the cheers of his parents and friends, but one voice stood out above all the rest and made him freeze in his tracks. A deep, baritone voice as clear as day echoed from the stands near his parents. When he turned to look, his expression went from depressed to overjoyed in two seconds flat. James Ryan Haywood himself was the loudest one of all, whooping and hollering like Ray had never heard before. It brought tears to his eyes to see the man he so desperately needed made it after all.

After throwing his cap and leaving the stadium, Ray searched frantically for that sandy blonde head of hair through the crowd of people and their parents. He bolted forward when the crowd parted enough for him to spot that glowing smile, and nearly tackled him to the floor. Ryan moved the giant bouquet of roses out of the line of fire and happily caught the missile that was his boyfriend. Ray cried for minutes on end as he scolded and admired the man above him. He was angry that his parents knew he was coming and they left him in the dark, but he couldn't remain that way when he was so thrilled to see Ryan in the first place. Once pictures and gifts were exchanged, they went out to dinner together as a family. Ryan had already talked about this with Ray's mom and dad, but he needed the final decision from Ray himself.

"Ray, I need to ask you something really important." He continued once he got a concerned look in return. "Okay, so you know how I got hired to work at some big-wig company in Texas, right?" Ray nodded, saddened that he was reminded of the fact that his boyfriend would be even further away. "Well, the apartment I got was pretty big. Big enough for two people to stay in, and since you're done with school, I uh.. I wanted to know if you wanted to come live with me." Ryan scratched the back of his head when he received a dumbfounded look from the smaller, but chuckled softly as Ray agreed happily. He was packed and ready for the long drive to Texas within three days. After saying goodbye to mom, dad, and all of his friends, he left start anew.

 

-

 

That brings us here. It's been one year since the couple began living together. Ryan was usually home before Ray even got off work, his cushy job at Rooster Teeth gave him more luxuries at work than anyone could want. He made enough for Ray to stay home comfortably, but Ray, being the bull-headed man he was, decided that he was gonna help pull his weight around the apartment, even if it meant working at a job he absolutely hated. Gamestop was full of shitty nerds that asked too many questions and were snobby as fuck, gamers that were rude, 12 year olds screaming about CoD and their moms that know nothing about video games and only live to spoil their bratty kids. It left Ray often coming home with a headache and sore feet, to which Ryan happily remedied with kisses and cuddles, and sometimes sex that would make Playboy Bunnies blush. Either way, he was just happy that he got to come home to his bulky, sweetheart, animator boyfriend every night and be able to wake up next to him in the morning.

Tonight, however, Ryan needed to work late to finish a few projects that were due later in the week. Better to finish them now rather than later. That meant more time goofing off instead of rushing to finish his work. When Ryan returned home, he was eager to get into bed and relax after staring at a computer screen for hours on end. He sighed softly as he walked through the door and smiled, happy to be home. "Ray, I'm back." he half-shouted, just loud enough to be heard but not disturb his neighbors. He glanced at the clock, 11:45. Ray had to be up at six, maybe he was already asleep. It was too quiet for him to be up and playing Xbox. Ryan kicked off his shoes and tossed his keys on the counter, walking into the bedroom with heavy footsteps. He was surprised to see that no, Ray wasn't in bed. He searched the bathroom and called out for him. Had he gone out? No, Ray can't drive and there's nowhere of interest within Ray's 2-Mile Standard walking distance. Where the hell was he? He was just about to call Ray's phone and explain how worried he was when he heard it.

Snoring.

He stayed quiet and wondered how he didn't hear it when he first walked in. Maybe it was because he was focusing too hard on the task of finding where his Puerto Rican boyfriend had run off to. Following the low rumbling, he tip-toed into the living room and smiled softly. "How adorable.." He whispered to himself. Ryan pulled out his phone and snapped a few pictures just to savor the moment, setting his favorite as his phone wallpaper and lock screen.

There, bundled up on the couch in Ryan's biggest and fluffiest hoodie, Ryan's Rooster Teeth beanie and the blanket from their bed was Ray. He was curled up with his legs tucked against his chest and his arms completely draped in the fabric, pulled to act as a makeshift pillow. He snored quietly as he slept, he looked so peaceful. Ryan carefully picked Ray up and carried him to their bed, setting him down on the sheets. Ryan couldn't seem to rid himself of the smile that had pulled at his lips, Ray looked too cute for him to quit it. The taller changed quickly and quietly, readying himself for bed and trying his best not to disturb his sleeping boyfriend. He knew how hard Ray worked and how much he hated his job, he deserved the rest he was getting. It was rare for him to be sleeping this early, so there was even more reason for him to be as quiet as he could be.

Ryan slid himself under the covers and almost as if on instinct, Ray turned over and settled himself against Ryan's chest, snoring away without a care in the world. Ryan chuckled a little to himself, slinging his arms around Ray's shoulders and placing a kiss on Ray's forehead. "Love you." He muttered, closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.

 

-

 

Ryan awoke, as he always did, when he felt the bed stirring and heard Ray grumbling curses and nasty insults directed towards their dreaded alarm clock. Ryan kept his eyes closed a little while longer sighing when they finally cracked open to see Ray changing out of his ~~Ryan's~~ clothes. The light was off and the sun hadn't risen just yet, which made him smile. The blond sat up from the mattress and yawned, stepping out of bed to place a large kiss on Ray's lips, exchange good morning's and I love you's, and go start the coffee maker. Ryan remembered from last night his conversation with Burnie, the veteran founder of Rooster Teeth, just before he left the office.

> _"You're kidding! He can't have a gamer score that fucking high, it's impossible!"_
> 
> _"I'm serious, he spends all of his free time perfecting his Gamerscore. Every game he's played, he has every single achievement in. Scout's honor."_
> 
> _"Shit dude, that's higher than anyone in the company... Can he edit videos? Like, does he know how to work capture and editing software?"_
> 
> _"I actually don't know, but if he doesn't then I'd be happy to teach him."_
> 
> _"I trust your judgment. If he's really as good as you say he is and hates his job as much as you say he does, then I want him here working for me. He'd have a much better time and would definitely get a better paycheck. Bring him in and give him a tour of the place, see what he thinks. I doubt he'll say no."_
> 
> _"You mean it?! Burnie, I really owe you one. Thank you, really."_
> 
> _"Don't mention it man, anything for a friend. Just one thing though."_
> 
> _"Yeah boss?"_
> 
> _"I'm gonna tell you the same thing I tell everyone with a significant other working here. I really don't wanna see you guys fucking in the office. Keep it to a minimum."_
> 
> _"You won't have to worry about that. Jesus Christ..."_

"Wait wait wait wait." Ray said, trying to wrap his head around what Ryan just explained to him. "So you're telling me that you just landed me a job at the company that produces Red vs Blue, and if I chose to work for them, I'd be playing video games and getting achievements for money? AND I get to work side by side with my boyfriend?"

"Yep, that's exactly correct. You up for it?"

"Are you fucking kidding me?! When do I start?!"


	7. Day 7: Cosplaying

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooooh man we get to meet the other Achievement Hunters in this chapter!
> 
> As always, thank you for your support and feedback! Enjoy!

"You motherfucker! I'm gonna fucking murder you, Gavin!"

"Micool!"

The Achievement Hunter office was in the middle of recording one of their Let's Plays, Minecraft to be specific, and Gavin felt like being a cheeky little bastard during the game. Every so often he would change little things in Michael's path, he would demine him, spawn animals, or even go as far as to bunse him into lava after removing his bed. Today was just a day where they did whatever, a Free play if you will, so everyone was off doing their own thing. Michael was sick and tired of Gavin destroying any progress he made, so in a fit of frustration, he equipped his diamond sword and began chasing Gavin around Achievement City. Geoff, Jack and Ryan were all laughing at the bickering they produced. Ray, seeing Gavin's character speed by him with Michael hot on his heels, decided to jump in and save the day.

"Don't worry Vav, I'll save you!!" He shouted into the mic, slapping Michael's character a few times with an iron sword.

"Ray what the hell?! How could you?!"

Gavin turned around and came at him with a diamond pickaxe, the two of them working together to bring Mogar to an end. Once he was dead, Gavin and Ray cheered loudly, heard more clearly than the Gents' laughter and Michael's screams of anguish. "Thanks Ray, my lovely little boy, you saved me!"

"Hey, no problem boi."

"You're like a superhero!"

"Yeah, I guess I am." a few minutes of giggling and random chatter passed before Gavin shouted. "X-Ray!"

Everyone paused their conversations to see if Gavin would further elaborate on his statement, and when he didn't, Ryan spoke up. "Excuse me?"

"X-Ray! That should be your superhero name, Ray." He let out a gasp. "Oh my god, we can be superheroes together! X-Ray and Vav!" The Gents began to snicker at the two Lads, mocking them for their stupidity. "X-Ray and Vav, I like it!" Ray said with a smile. "Does that mean I have the power to see through clothing?"

"Seriously Ray?!" Geoff groaned, followed by Michael and Jack complaining about how they heard enough about his relationship around the office, but Ray simply smiled and sent a wink Ryan's way.

 

-

 

X-Ray and Vav had become a sensation as soon as that Let's Play had been released. Fanart sprung up on tumblr and devaintArt almost overnight, all of which depicting different costume designs, superpowers and scenarios. The duo was mentioned frequently in Let's Plays to come, basically becoming a joke that had risen to be a real live thing. Eventually, a t-shirt contest was put up on the Rooster Teeth website to help pick the costumes for X-Ray and Vav. The design was chosen, and even more fanart from before was showing up, most of which was sent directly to the boys themselves.

One day out of the blue, two tightly sealed packages were delivered to Ray and Gavin in the middle of slacking off. "What are these?" Ray questioned, shaking the package to see if anything small or edible were inside. Fans had a tendency to send them tiny trinkets and sweets through the mail, Ray was surprised that none of them were ever lost or taken by other staff members. Ray couldn't wait, and seeing as Gavin was already tearing his open, the Puerto Rican followed suit. He started to laugh as Gavin squaked at their gifts. Gavin held his against his body and started to laugh hysterically, Ray on the other hand simply shook his head with a wide smile. "I can't believe someone actually fucking made these things. Dude, look, there's a note." He cleared his throat and began to read.

> **Dear X-Ray and Vav,**
> 
> **I know you guys are the best at what you do, but t-shirts with your symbols on it just won't do the trick!**
> 
> **I hope that the both of you will wear these proudly and never stop fighting for justice!**
> 
> **Every superhero needs some tights, don't you think?**
> 
> **Love,**
> 
> **A dedicated fan.**

Ray was about to turn and speak to Gavin directly, but the Brit was already running out of the Achievement Hunter office and down the hall to the nearest bathroom to change. "Hey, wait for me, Vav!"

 

-

 

The Rooster Teeth logo flashed on the screen with their familiar slogan before cutting to static, and the static quickly cut to Caleb, his phone turned around to face him. "Okay, so we delivered the mail to all of the Achievement Hunters today, and Gavin and Ray seem to have gotten a uh--" He tried to hold in his laughter. "A very special gift today. Let's go see if they like their gifts." The camera turned to a first person view of the hallways and the stairway. In the background, laughing and shouting could be heard. The camera worked it's way to the animator's den, where the screaming and cheering only got louder. As the camera parted through the crowd of people, they finally came into view.

"X-RAY, AND VAV!" The two shouted together in unison. They were standing on a ladder, fists raised in the air triumphantly. Ray and Gavin were both clad in real-life versions of their superhero alter egos' costumes, Ray wearing green and black with goggles that probably skewed his vision, and Gavin in the colors of the Union Jack. Ryan could be seen in the bottom left hand corner of the screen with a stupid grin on his face, and the camera panned out as they climbed down the ladder.

"Common, X-Ray, let's go fight some crime!" Gavin shouted, bolting past the crowd of Rooster Teeth employees.

"Evil doers beware, your crimes will not go unpunished, you will be stopped by, X-RAY--"

"AND VAV!!"

The two boys made whooshing and laser noises as they "flew" past each person, shooting out of the doors and out of sight. Caleb turned the camera towards himself and chuckled. "Today's RT Life was brought to you by idiocy. Idiocy. It can make you an everyday Superman."

The screen then cut to static.


	8. Day 8: Shopping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just filler, this one. Something cute and unchanging to the story, really.
> 
> As always, thank you so much for the support and feedback! Enjoy!

"Ryaaaaaaan!" Ray groaned from the kitchen. He was staring into the fridge for what seemed like hours before he finally realized that what he wanted wasn't even there. "Ryan, we're out of soda!" He opened the freezer and peered into it, letting out another loud groan. " **And** we're out of popsicles! Ryan!" Ray stomped into the bedroom with a whining noise and slumped his upper body over the older man's shoulders like a blanket. Ryan was hunched over the computer clicking away on one of his master race PC games.

"Okay, so what do you want me to do about it?" he said, turning his head to look at the Puerto Rican's cheek.

"Go grocery shopping and get some. I like the chocolate ones and-"

"Only if you come with me." He said. Ryan was met with another patented Ray Narvaez Jr. "I Don't Wanna, You Do It" groan. "Don't give me that. I always go by myself to get everything. You should come with me once in a while. I have to go shopping anyway, we're running low on stuff to make dinner. If you come with me, you can pick out whatever you want within reason and budget. And maybe we can stop for Taco Bell on the way home."

"You're bribing me with shitty Mexican food? That's racist, Ry." Ray said, standing up straight and stretching as he went to change out of ~~Ryan's~~  his sweat pants.

"Are you saying no to Taco Bell?" Ryan replied, grinning as he turned in his chair.

"I'm saying that I need nourishment and I'm gonna do whatever it takes to get it, even if it's slightly racist towards me and my people."

"You mean New Yorkers?"

"Shut up."

 

-

 

"Okay, so I have my list here. We need bread, rice, deli meat, milk-- Ray?" Ryan began, soon realizing that Ray had already wandered off towards the frozen section. Ryan rolled his eyes and followed the head of raven hair that poked out from its Twitch hoodie. Ray was staring at the ice cream in the glass cases with a contemplative look on his face, as if he were thinking very, VERY hard about his decision. "Ray, just pick one. You were so dead set on chocolate before we left the house, just put a box or two in the cart so we can finish up and go home." Ray didn't answer for a few seconds, the lag seemed to be getting to him.

"Ryan, no." He stated bluntly. "This is a big decision. They got new flavors since the last time I was here, and the brand I like nearly doubled their inventory. That, and I don't know if I want to get popsicles anymore because they have new flavors in the cartons too. Choices, choices, choices." Ryan sighed, but being the good boyfriend he was, he waited patiently for Ray to pick what he wanted. When the younger finally decided what he wanted, half of their cart was full of tubs of Neapolitan ice cream and orange crèmesicles. The blond shook his head, slowly crossing a few frozen items off of his list. There would be no room for anything else in their freezer if that ice cream was there, but he didn't have the heart to tell Ray to put any back. "I hope you're satisfied with what you got, you better make it last." he said. Ray only turned his head and jumped up to sit on the front end of the cart. "Don't eat any of it and it will."

Ryan pushed the cart forward easily, the added weight was nothing. Ray hadn't bulked up much since his freshman year, his metabolism was something that models would be jealous of and his diet only rubbed it in peoples' faces. Either way, Ray was still able to be lifted by Ryan with one arm. The blond turned his head every so often to see past his obstructing boyfriend. He would never admit it to anyone other than the guy himself, but Ryan loved it when Ray acted like this. Childish. It was adorable. He loved when Ray wanted piggy-back rides just to see what it's like from Ryan's point of view, he adored it when Ray walked around in nothing but one of the older's hoodies because it dwarfed him, and he loved it more than anything when Ray's sweet tooth took control. Sure it wasn't as healthy a thing as Ryan would like it to be, but indulging that boy with the sweets and sugars that made him so content was something Ryan lived to see.

Who was Ray to say no?

After about a half an hour of walking around, grabbing things that weren't on Ryan's organized list, reenacting an episode of Veggitales using the produce, and trying to decide which kind of jam they needed more, they were finally approaching the end of their shopping trip. "Ray, go grab the soda, we're almost done here. I'm gonna pick up the bread and meat and then we can go check out, yeah?" Ray nodded in response, darting off to grab and bring back whatever amount of Coke his body could carry. When he returned, he paused at the end of the aisle. "Oh hell no." He muttered, narrowing his eyes.

At the other end of the aisle, Ryan was being chatted up by some tall, dark and beautiful young woman, probably just into her twenties. Ray could tell she was trying to flirt with the taller of the duo, she was twirling her hair and jutting out her hips like someone who desperately wanted attention. Ray practically growled as he began to approach his boyfriend's cart, god her laugh was fucking obnoxious. He could see Ryan, as he got closer, looked a little uncomfortable. Being polite and kindhearted by nature, he had only kept listening to her talk because it was nice. Ray dropped the boxes of soda into the cart and walked around to press a territorial kiss to Ryan's lips. He could hear her small gasp as she was interrupted mid-sentence, as well as Ryan's initial inhale in surprise. "Honey, look, the soda's were on sale!" Ray spoke in his most condescending and mocking tone. "Oh, I'm sorry. Was I interrupting your conversation, dear?" He was a little too good at feigning innocence.

The woman had apologized and given them a confused and disgusted look before quickly shuffling off to find another man to stalk. Ray grumbled under his breath as she left. "Yeah, better fucking back off.." He muttered, and Ryan only chuckled. "Didn't know you were so territorial, Ray."

"Did you see the way she was fucking staring at you?! Like you were a piece of meat left out to dry and she was some kind of animal ready to sink her nasty ass teeth into you!" Ryan stopped his tantrum from going any further by silencing him with a long kiss. Ryan pulled back to see that familiar dazed look on Ray's face.

"Relax," he said. "I know it, she knows it, and everyone else knows it. You're the hottest twink in this damn store, and because of that little display, I'm sure everyone knows I'm all yours. One hundred percent." Ray smiled a little and nodded in agreement. "I'm glad you showed up when you did, though. I was afraid she was gonna touch me and rub that spray tan on my nice clothes. X-Ray always comes just in the nick of time." Ray rolled his eyes and let a wider smile show.

"You big dummy." he said, tugging the cart up to the counters. "Now let's go home, I'm starting to crash from my lack of vanilla-flavored caffeine."

"Yes dear." Ryan replied in a mocking tone, following close behind.

"You're gonna get it if you keep that up."

"Oooh, is that a threat or a promise."

"Both."


	9. Day 9: Hanging Out With Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm having a really fun time writing these, I want to try and get done up to chapter 12 by the end of the night so I don't have to write a big fuckload, but my inspiration comes in spurts. Like a guy. #itsasexthing  
> But uh, yeah. If any of you are wondering why Millie (Geoff and Griffon's daughter) isn't and will never be a part of this fanfiction, it's because Geoff has stated that he doesn't want her involved in the fandom's antics. I agree 100%. So Geoff and Griffon, in this story, are just a crazy married couple with no children! <3
> 
> As always, thank you for your support and feedback! Enjoy!

Ryan and Ray weren't typically the type of couple to go out all the time. Sure, they liked going out to eat every once in a while, and they occasionally had the money to go to a fancy restaurant and a movie, but they typically spent their time when not in the office in their apartment in nothing but their underwear, Ray in one of Ryan's hoodies, with take out from a Chinese food place down the street and a plethora of movies and tv shows to pick from. Praise Netflix. They did, however, agree that whenever they were invited somewhere within their budget, they would go out with their friends. Tonight was one of those nights.

The conversation was first brought up when their editing and recording was interrupted by Geoff's phone. Of course, the mustachioed man stepped out as not to disturb anyone any further, but he walked back in with a large grin on his face. "Hey, Griffon and I are apparently having a party tonight, and she wanted me to invite you dickheads. So show up at my place around six o'clock, okay? If you aren't there, you're fired." Everyone collectively agreed with Geoff to be there, and on their lunch break, Ryan and Ray were both perched on Ryan's big dumb white couch.

"You know, we don't have to go." Ryan said. He placed the small bag of food that was sitting in the fridge on Ray's legs, which were currently draped over his lap. "I mean, I'm not gonna be drinking anything considering I have to drive you home, but there are gonna be _so many drunk people,_ we can stay home."

Ray smiled a little and shook his head. "Oh no, I'm gonna be there. Passing up on an opportunity to eat Geoff and Griffon's cooking is an opportunity wasted. Plus, seeing drunk Geoff and drunk Gavin together in the same room is a fucking great show. Throw in drunk Michael and we've got ourselves a wasted conga line." Ray chuckled, taking his bowl of leftovers from the night prior and popping the lid. Ryan was a great cook, but Geoff and Griffon completely blew him out of the water. There was no competition. "Why, do you not wanna go or something?"

"No, I do. I don't feel like losing my job, you know." Ryan smiled, opening the container to a salad. "If you really wanna go, we'll go. But if you need to go home or you wanna leave so we can snuggle and watch movies or something, let me know and we can go." Ray nodded in response, shoving a forkful of pasta into his mouth. The rest of the day after that went according to schedule: Finish up editing, have a quickie in the downstairs supply closet, record a few Let's plays, then go home. Instead of stripping to their boxers, however, they changed, watched a little bit too much tv, then got back into the car to head over to Geoff and Griffon's place and arrive an hour and a half after the party had started. Ray could already see the lights of their house blaring from the street, cars were lined up and down the block for their little shindig. Their neighbors must hate them.

Ryan stepped out of the car first, meeting his boyfriend on the opposite end to link their hands together. Before they even had a chance to ring the doorbell, Gavin was swinging open the door. "'Ello!" he called out drunkenly, smiling like the idiot he was. Ryan couldn't help but smile as he stepped, or stumbled, to the side and allowed them through. Ray stood close to the taller as the scent of alcohol hit him in the face, he crinkled his nose in disgust at the scent. The underlying smell of barbeque was what made him go from grossed out to elated in a second. He made a b-line straight for the kitchen, stopping in his tracks when a foreign bearded face greeted him.

"Holy shit, Dan!" He shouted, running up to hug him tightly. Dan Gruchy, Gavin's partner in crime and fellow Slow-Mo Guy, had flown in for the week to film a few things in America. That, and since he was on military leave, he was more than happy to attend a famous Ramsey party. Ryan kissed Ray on the temple and let him catch up with his friend before walking off to find Geoff.

"Dude, why didn't you tell me you were gonna be out here? I would've totally invited you over to mine and Ryan's place for some awesome food and gaming."

Dan shook his head, grinning as he took a sip of his beer. "That would've been nice. No, I uh, I came out here specifically to see Gavin, if you catch my drift. He and I meet every few weeks to-" He thought for a moment on how to properly put it. "Relieve some stress. You know?" The Puerto Rican's eyebrows lifted in surprise. He had no idea that Dan and Gavin were.. Involved. Not that he had a problem, he should have seen it coming to be honest, seeing as Dan and Gavin had always been so close.

"Huh. Cool. But no, seriously, you should have told me." Ray grinned wide. "I live to defeat people in games they suck at, hell, even games that they're good at. I would have been de-fucking-lighted to destroy your ass."

"Calm down there, lover boy. Wouldn't want your boyfriend hearing you talk like that towards me, would we? What would Ryan say?" Dan retorted, grinning like a mad man.

They spoke for most of the party, only stopping when Gavin had fell into the Ramsey's pool and refused to come out until Michael jumped in with him. Something about wanting a fish friend to swim with. It was quite the sight to see, both of his fellow Lads were splashing about like dogs in the shallow end, screaming and squaking with a drunken slur to their voices. Dan had excused himself to go take care of the situation once he heard a few British-accented uses of the word "fuck". Everyone in the office was recording the scene, Ray was expecting to see many things from the party on a few episodes of RT Life the next few days.

Ryan, on the other hand, mostly hung out near the grill. It smelled good, for one, and it as where Gus, Lindsay and Kara were standing out of the way and chatting. Ryan never stood up the opportunity to have an intellectual conversation with his friends, even though the topic quickly deviated from politics to new game releases. He joined easily and didn't realize how late it was until he was brought out of the conversation by a loud squawk and a bottle crashing to the floor. The blond checked his phone, almost midnight already. Knowing Ray, he would probably be exhausted after a big function like this, so he stood, bid his friends farewell, and left to find where his boyfriend had run off to.

Ray let out a small yawn, jumping as two strong arms were wrapped around his waist. He could smell barbeque sauce and the faintest smell of beer. "How many did you have, Ryan?" He said.

"Just one, don't worry. I needed something to wash down the ribs. I had a glass of water afterwards though, my dearest, just in case you were wondering." Ryan placed a small kiss on the juncture of Ray's jaw and his ear, making the smaller blush and smile. "You look worn out. Common, let's get you home." Ray didn't protest, but he did pull away to find Dan and their hosts. "I'll meet you at the car." he said with a smile. Ray said his goodbyes to Geoff and Griffin and hugged Dan one last time before heading out.

The ride home was quiet other than the low music playing in the background from the radio, but neither of them minded at all. Upon their arrival home, Ray was already half asleep. He demanded to be carried up to their third floor apartment on Ryan's back, and not being able to say no, Ryan did. He cheated and took the elevator rather than walk up three flights of stairs, but kept Ray pacified with each step he took. He set his boyfriend down to unlock their apartment door, guiding him inside the dark entry way to their bedroom. Ray lazily kicked off his pants and shirt, not bothering to steal any of Ryan's oversized shirts. He was full of food and wanted to sleep.

The blond smiled from the doorway, watching Ray for just a moment longer before the smaller of the two started to complain about how lonely it was in bed, to which Ryan quickly stripped himself to climb in next to him. "Did you have a good time tonight?" Ryan said as he settled down into the mattress. Ray simply nodded in response, letting out a loud yawn and a mumbled "I love you" before he promptly passed out. This kid's energy can plummet in an instant, the older thought to himself. He smiled though.

Sometimes going out was a nice change of pace, even if it always ended with Ray asleep in his arms as he stared at the ceiling. Ryan actually quite enjoyed it.


	10. Day 10: Animal Ears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahah I'm kind of cheating with this one. <3 
> 
> As Always, thank you for your support and feedback! Enjoy.

It was a normal day, nothing entirely special happening. Ray was lounging on the couch with the television remote resting lazily in his palms, while Ryan had only just gotten out of the shower and was now sitting at the computer in his boxers. The Puerto Rican flipped through the television channels mindlessly, not really paying attention to what was on until a bright flashing caught his eye. Now, in their area of Texas, local commercials were on almost every other time, ads that were terribly animated and acted, projected using nothing but a green screen. It was embarrassing. This, however, was pretty well done. A local travelling carnival had come into town and was offering a one-night-only opportunity to ride the rides before they were gone.

Ray's eyes lit up immediately, and once the commercial had ended, he turned to his boyfriend at the desk behind him with his arms crossed over the top of the couch. "Hey baaaabe?" Ray spoke up, smiling innocently.

"Yes dear?" Ryan replied, keeping his eyes on the screen as he turned his head towards the other.

"So uh, the carnival's in town."

"So I heard from you blasting the television."

"Yeah."

It was silent for a few seconds until Ryan finally decided to turn his eyes and his body towards Ray. He was sporting his "I Want It" face, puppy dog eyes and pouty lip included. Ryan sighed softly, smiling a little. "You wanna go, don't you." Ray nodded. "Did you finish all the work you needed to get done tonight?" Another nod. "Did you want to go tonight?" Another nod. The larger sighed again, removing his glasses. "Alright. I guess we could go, I've got nothing better to do." The smaller hopped from his place on the couch to run to Ryan with a cheery expression, kissing him in thanks before running off to get changed. Even if they weren't leaving for a few hours, Ryan could feel the boy's excitement. It'd been quite a while since they'd been to one of these, six years to be exact. He figured he might as well enjoy himself, reminisce on fond old memories with his boyfriend throughout the night, even though he still despised carnivals and fairs.

The entire car ride was spent listening to Ray's plan on what to do once they arrived. According to the smaller Puerto Rican, they would save all the rides for last, spend a few buck on games (the faster Ryan won him a prize, the less money they would spend), get food, then go back and play again. Pretty solid plan if you were to ask him about it.

He practically leapt from the car as they arrived in the parking lot, running around to drag Ryan towards the main entrance with a shout of "Come on, slow ass! The sun's going down so all the teenagers are gonna hog the good games if we don't hurry the fuck up!" Ray had a smile ten miles wide spread across his face as he pulled his boyfriend along and Ryan could only respond with a shake of his head as he pulled out his wallet. He paid for their entry and was quickly pulled off in the direction of the game booths, Ray screaming like one of the many teenagers that littered the fairground.

 

-

 

Ryan officially hated carnival games. Water Guns, Whack-A-Mole, everything that had to do with carnies. After six attempts at the Ring Toss, Ryan eventually gave up when he managed to hook a single ring on one of the bottles. The game manager shouted with joy as it was hooked and gave him his prize: A pair of cat ears and a very flimsy cat tail to match. "What the hell kind of prize is this supposed to be?" He muttered, carrying it in his free hand as Ray once again dragged him off. He paused, however, when he spotted the High Striker, better known as the strongman's game. He grinned a little, looking down at his confused boyfriend.

"Why did we stop?" Ray questioned. "We still have time to get to the funnel cake stand before that asshole who showed you up at the ball toss cuts in line and steals all the good toppings."

"I have a proposition for you."

"Okay, and that would be...?"

"As you could tell, I was a little more than embarrassed playing these childish and obviously rigged games. If I can hit the bell on my first try at that game right there, you have to wear this little "prize" I won, as well as get your face painted to match, for the remainder of the night."

"Why would you wanna make yourself look like an even bigger dweeb? I mean, you said it yourself, the things are rigged. Nobody can hit the bell on the first try."

"Then I guess you won't have anything to worry about when I lose, will you?"

Ray growled at the offer, his pride taking control. "You're on. But! If you lose, _you_ have to be the one to wear all that shit."

"Deal."

With a determined look in his eyes, it was Ryan's turn to drag Ray to one of the games. Ryan smiled at the shouting game manager, examining the prizes for a moment, eyeing the large stuffed bear sitting on the top rack. He smirked as he took hold of the mallet, gripping it tight in his hands. He raised it high above his head, and with a grunt...

_**DING!** _

Ray's jaw dropped slightly as Ryan pumped a fist high in the air. He laughed loudly as the realization of his loss sunk in on his boyfriend's face, and he happily snatched the bear from the man congratulating him. "Here, sweetheart, I won this for you." He said, placing the bear in a still shocked Ray's hands. "Now, let's go find that face painting booth I mentioned earlier, I think it was by the--"

"How the fuck did you do that?" Ray interrupted, staring up at Ryan in awe.

"Ray, I'm a two-hundred and fifty pound giant who's built mainly out of muscle and bone. It wasn't that hard. I'm surprised you didn't take the fact that I lift weights into account."

"I fucking hate you."

"Love you too baby."

 

-

 

"I still fucking hate you." Ray said, his arms crossed over his chest with the teddy bear tucked safely between his chest and forearms. Ryan couldn't stop chuckling the entire time they were in the food area. He would look over and see Ray, his little Grumpy Cat. Whiskers and a pink button nose were painted on his face, black cat ears and a string of a tail were adorned on his body. He looked so precious. Ryan had snapped a couple photos, much to the other's dismay, and uploaded them to his facebook account, making sure to tag Ray in every single one.

"No you don't." He replied. "You're just being a sour puss because you lost a bet." Ray grumbled to himself, giving the blond the stink eye every time he looked in his direction. Ryan shook his head softly, smiling as he wrapped an arm around Ray's shoulders. He checked the time, sighing a little before turning to the smaller. "Okay, we have time for one or two rides if we choose wisely. After that I need to get back, I'm needed in the office early tomorrow morning to help out Geoff and Jack with some editing." Ryan looked around and spotted a familiar lit-up circle from his place on the ground. He smiled warmly as the memories of their first official unofficial date came flooding back. He guessed he was lost in though so long that Ray had the same idea and led him to the ferris wheel because when he came to, he was already next in line for a seat.

The bar was brought down over their laps and the machine jumped, like Ray, as it began to spin. Ray had yet to completely get over his fear of heights, but as he frequently told Ryan when flying or driving anywhere elevated, "As long as I have you here to catch me, I'm sure I'll be fine."

They stopped a step from the top when Ryan felt the seat begin to rock. He noticed Ray had shifted closer, trembling from the sudden rocking of their cart. Ryan put his arm around the younger once again, allowing him to curl up against his broad chest and seek help to calm him down from the height. Ryan pressed a kiss to his temple and whispered against his skin. "You still hate me?"

It took a second for Ray to speak as he got comfortable. He tucked his head into the crook of Ryan's neck and settled for his shoulder as a pillow. "Hmph." Ray stated. The older merely shook his head and sighed. It was quiet above all the music and screaming that typically came with a travelling fair. The moon had lit up the sky, though the stars weren't as visible in this part of town as they were anywhere else, but it was a nice experience nonetheless. Ryan stared down at the light show below and spoke in a hushed, intimate tone; one that only Ray could hear.

"You know, that night back in high school, I was thinking about you all day. I couldn't get my mind off of you. I honestly didn't know what I was, sexuality wise. It confused me to think that I, the straightest man in school, had a crush on the skinniest freshman male." He scratched the back of his head as Ray shifted again, the tickling of the younger's eyelashes on his neck as he blinked making him smile a little wider. "But as soon as I got on that ferris wheel, as soon as I saw you staring at the stars with that look on your face, the one you get when a video game trailer blows your mind or when someone kills you out of the blue, just that look of surprise and awe, I knew that I had fallen in love, and I fell pretty damn hard. And you know what? I didn't mind it. I was happy that I'd fallen for such an incredible, unique, well-rounded guy. I still am."

Silence filled the air once again.

"... You know, you're making it really hard to hate you right now."

"Good to know you were paying attention."

Ryan sighed softly as they sat in their seat, his head tilting back to stare up into the void of the night. He perked up a little once he felt lips instead of eyelashes on his neck and a voice laced with sleep speak up.

"I'm glad I fell for you too, you dirty cheater."


	11. Day 11: Kigurumis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just a short cutsie little chapter featuring embarrassed Ryan and the rest of the Achievement Hunter group. <3
> 
> As always, thanks for your support and feedback! Enjoy!

"No."

"Ryan, you're acting childish right now."

"I have a good reason to act childish, Ray!"

"It's not that bad. Common, you promised you'd wear it!"

"Yeah, that was before I knew I'd be wearing something that made me look like I was trapped a deflated sumo wrestler costume!"

"You're exaggerating things."

"Still. I'm not coming out. I look ridiculous."

"Rye-bread, they already started filming AHWU, do you really wanna back out now?"

"Yes."

"Too bad. If you don't come out of the bathroom, I'm coming in and dragging you out myself."

"I'd like to see you try."

"You have to the count of three. One."

"Suck a dick, Ray."

"Two."

"Good luck getting in here with me blocking the door."

"Three."

 

-

 

"Ayooo! What's up guys, it's Geoff from Achievement Hunter, and me and my Eight Greatest Mistakes here are wearing some kind of Japanese pajamas a fan made of our uh, our Minecraft skins. They look pretty bitchin if you ask me." Geoff grinned into the camera as he backed up enough to show off the kigurumi he wore. It was decked out to resemble Master Chief's armor, very detailed, the stitching was on point. Eventually everyone got up and showed theirs off. Lindsay's resembled a penguin, Kdin's was an extremely detailed version of the Ender Dragon, Gavin with his Creeper, and so on and so forth. They all were happy to have them on, laughing and fucking around, except for one man that walked in late and was now sitting in the back.

Ryan, decked out in a kigurumi that adorned a kilt and cardigan with a crown sewn into the hood, was sitting on his couch trying to make himself as small as he possibly could. Michael and Gavin, however, had different ideas. They were constantly in his face, trying to get him to stand in front of the camera or get the camera to move towards him. He was already uncomfortable as it was, but being bombarded by attention in this... thing, wasn't helping at all.

Ray flashed him a look from behind the camera, one that reminded him of what they did prior to entering the room. He could practically hear his boyfriend screaming at him "Hey, I blew you in the fucking bathroom to get you out here, you better at least smile for the camera or you can forget about getting any when you take that thing off." He sighed, winking his way before standing and entering a better camera angle. The guys seemed to be pleased seeing him make a small fool of himself. The more Ryan walked around in it, the more he realized how unreasonable he was actually being about the whole situation. It was quite comfortable, he had to admit, and it was a cool thing to have, the person who made it even got his size right. Eventually, he grew to have fun wearing it over the next few hours that he was still at the office. None of the guys took theirs off, so at least he wasn't alone in the situation.

When Ray and Ryan were on their way home, Ray was grinning at him nearly the entire drive there. "What?" Ryan questioned.

"I told you it wasn't that bad."

"Well I did get quite a bit of steamy motivation."

"Yeah, well don't expect any more of that "motivation" until you get out of that thing. You look ridiculous." The Puerto Rican joked.

Ryan simply shook his head and smiled as he focused on the road.


	12. Day 12: Making Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just cute office kisses. I'm trying to get caught up really bad, I just kinda write in spurts. vuv I hope you guys can excuse the inconsistency of these uploads, hopefully once I get to chapter 14, they stay at one update per day.
> 
> As always, thanks for your support and feedback! Enjoy!

Ryan's couch was unnecessarily comfortable. Ray could sit on that couch for hours, even days. Ryan was more than happy to share with him, seeing as they shared most things in their relationship. During lunch breaks, that's where they would sit. Gameplay for one of them but not the other? That's where they would sit. One of them had a headache and need to be held? That's where they would sit.

Late night office makeouts? Oh yeah. That's definitely where they would sit.

Well, more so that that would be where Ryan sits, Ray would take a seat in another comfortable spot: Ryan's lap. Ryan's work had piled up just a bit thanks to his rampant insomnia and poor life choices to pick reading over working, and Ray, being the fantastic loving boyfriend he was, offered to stay with him. That, and he had no other way of transportation home for the evening. It was about eight o'clock when Ray started to get antsy. The boredom was outstanding, it was just... So boring. So what better thing is there to do than to distract Ryan from his work?

He started with draping his body across the older man's shoulders, which escalated into pleas for kisses, which escalated into rubbing his hands slowly along the elder's muscles and eventually led to sitting in his lap with their lips locked and their tongues exploring familiar territory. Ray groaned a little as Ryan began to get a little handsy, his palms moving from his lithe hips to his bubble butt, cupping and squeezing it like he knew Ray would appreciate. He smirked when he got the reaction he wanted, a squeak followed by a moan and an even harder push of Ray's lips against his own. He changed their positions quickly, pinning Ray down with his back against the couch. Ray let out a heavy breath against Ryan's lips and threw his arms around the man's shoulders. He adored it when Ryan manhandled him.

Heavy palms calloused from years of hard work traced patterns and shapes along tanned, bony hips as skinny fingers slid their way into blond locks, tangling themselves there in an attempt to pull his partner closer. Lips were pressed against plump and kiss-swollen lips, tongues darted out every so often to wetten their own, as well as the other's lips. They tied together like knots as they traversed into the wet caverns, a thin strong of saliva kept their lips connected the entire time.

Things were just about to get much more heated as Ryan pushed his fingers under the hem of the Puerto Rican's shirt, pushing it up to expose mocha colored skin, until--

"Dude, seriously?!'

Geoff was staring at them with a disgusted and regretful look. Ray turned red immediately, trying to hide his face with one of the couch cushions as if it would make him disappear, while Ryan simply sat up and fixed his hair. "Sorry," he said. "Ray was distracting me."

"Yeah, no shit, he was distracting you all over that fucking couch and now I need some kind of bleach to clean my poor retinas."

Ryan couldn't help but chuckle as a string of curses left Geoff's mouth, as well as the pleading whine for them to please "just go home, I don't wanna see anything else tonight. I just wanna go drink myself into a coma in an attempt to forget you playing tonsil hockey with the company twink."

Hey, any reason to take care of the problem that was currently tenting in his pants was a good reason at the moment. 


	13. Day 13: Eating Ice Cream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was hastily written and spawned from a lack of motivation and inspiration. I'm sorry for the shitty quality.
> 
> But, as always, thank you for your support and feedback. Enjoy!

If it wasn't already obvious, Ray Narvaez Jr. had a serious hankering for ice cream. It was like a drug, just the silky texture and the plethora of flavors, the chill that ran down his spine every spoonful he put in his mouth, even the way it looked smothered in toppings were enough to make his mouth water. He spent what seemed like half of his paycheck on nothing but goodies to fill up their freezer, and despite Ryan's protests and lectures about diabetes and cavities, Ryan never bothered to tell his boyfriend no.

So, when Ray found out there was a new ice cream shoppe that opened up just a little ways down the road from their home, he practically ran there once work was over. They were apparently a 24-hour eatery. The thought of heading downstairs from his apartment late in the wee hours of the night just for a small vanilla made him orgasmic.

Work was over and dinner had been put away, so Ray took this as his chance to settle his curiosity. He grabbed his hoodie from its place on the back of Ryan's computer chair and skipped through the door. "Ray?" Ryan said, following him with a worried expression. When he saw the neon sign of the ice cream parlor, however, he calmed himself and sighed in relief.

Ray hurried down the street to the shoppe, leaving Ryan in the dust once they approached the entrance. The sugary sweet smell smacked Ryan in the face when he caught up, making him cringe a little. He'd never been too fond of overly sweet things, but ice cream was something he could tolerate every once in a while. Ray, on the other hand, was embraced in the smell, the breeze from the freezers, and the bright spectrum of colors and flavors and toppings for him to choose from.

"Ray, are you crying?" Ryan spoke up, quirking an eyebrow at the Puerto Rican.

"N-No," he replied as he wiped a finger underneath his eyelids. "I-I just have something in my eye." Ray was grinning like a fool when he approached the counter, his face pressing against the glass like a kid in a candy store. He wanted the biggest size they had, a seven dollar bowl, not counting toppings, was a little more than he wanted to pay for the creamy delight, but he'd settle for shaving a bit of cash and product from his weekly ice cream shopping list. He'd packed up on Neapolitan for the moment, topped with whipped cream, cherries and chocolate chips ( because sprinkles were for little bitches), and carried his treat to the nearest table.

Ryan merely stared at him the entire time before he helped himself to a small bowl of strawberry, nothing more nothing less. After paying for his own, he joined his boyfriend at the table. The Puerto Rican was already halfway done with his, to which Ryan was dumbfounded even though he shouldn't be. He'd seen Ray eat more in one sitting than a three year old could eat in a life time.

"I don't know how you can stand to eat all that.." Ryan murmured as he brought the spoon to his lips.

Ray shrugged in response, his eyes flickering up to meet Ryan's for a brief moment before heading back south to focus on his ice cream. The blond smiled at him, shaking his head slightly. "Good luck taking care of those cavities, Mister."

"Yeah, whatever."


	14. Day 14: Genderswapped

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayyyyeeeeee Halloween themed chapters are the best. Sorry about the lack of updates, guess I failed the challenge huh? Oh well, still gonna update. (ahahah its not even really genderbending because its costumes and only ray but idgaf)
> 
> As always, thanks for your support and feedback! Enjoy!

Halloween was most certainly one of Ray's favorite holidays, he always had some of the best costumes around. Usually they were entirely satirical, especially the year they went as the plug and socket (a classic that Ryan instantly regretted), but he still enjoyed wearing them whenever he got the chance. Not to mention that ever since Ryan came into his life, they'd spent every Halloween together in matching costumes. This year, they were planning something big, or so they told their friends and coworkers, for the annual office Halloween party. "It's gonna be so huge, you aren't gonna see it coming!" Ray would explain, smirking back at Ryan who simply smiled back and shook his head.

In reality, however, they had completely forgotten what was happening this month, they'd spaced that it was even the month of October. Ray was rushing around on every website he could access trying to find a suitable costume for the couple to wear the night of, the smaller had only stressed himself out even more than he already was. Projects and deadlines were piling up, and Ray was never one to handle stress very well. It gave him an anxiety that made his tummy ache and his head pound, it made his chest feel tight and he hated it. Luckily, Ryan knew the antidote: Ray liked to be held for at least an hour, sometimes longer if need be, and to be told that he's been doing a wonderful job and that everything would be alright. The older had been doing that nearly every day for weeks for his lover and not once did he complain.

About a week before the company Halloween party, Ray was pacing their shared living room and mumbling to himself. "Okay, we haven't missed a single Halloween yet, not in the seven years we've been together. I told everyone we'd have the most badass, unexpected costumes in the fucking house, how the **hell** are we gonna pull that off?! God, why did I say that, I've raised the bar so fucking high, I just--" He was silenced by the older of the two standing to cover his mouth. "I've got it." Ryan said, smiling down at his lover. "But uh, how do you feel about leather?"

"What do you have in mind?"

"Just answer the question."

 

-

 

Ryan smirked at himself in the mirror, slicking back his freshly-painted black hair with a little too much gel for his liking. Eh, gotta get into character, right? He shrugged the leather jacket onto his shoulders and made sure the white tee underneath was properly tucked into his blue jeans. "Ray common, we're gonna be late!" He shouted back towards the bathroom.

"Gimme just a second..." Ray grumbled, attempting to put the wig on in the correct position. He was slowly starting to regret letting Ryan convince him into wearing this thing, it was already hugging him just a little too tight, and he had to shave. He looked like a baby in hooker heels. When he was finally satisfied with the placement of the fake hairpiece, Ray turned slowly, as not to fall on his ass, and made his way to the living room. "So, what do you think?" He said hesitantly. Ryan turned, his jaw instantly dropping to the floor.

His boyfriend was leaning with an arm up against the doorway, his body tightened to a curve with the help of an underbust corset hidden well under a black tshirt. A cutoff leather jacket wrapped around his upper body while his lower body was entirely clad in leather pants, his package gracefully hidden with a few pointers from Gavin (how Gavin knew how to tuck, Ray really didn't want to find out). Atop his head sat a curly blonde wig and red lipstick graced his lips. He turned slightly to show off the plump curve of his ass to his dumbstruck boyfriend and sighed, shifting on his feet. "Damn... R-Ray, you look.. Holy shit, baby you look amazing..."

"Tell me about it, stud." Ray punctuated with a click of his tongue, walking forward to run a finger along Ryan's chest before tripping over himself. Luckily he had his big, strong greaser boyfriend to catch him. Ryan let out a howl of a laugh at Ray, shaking his head as helped the boy to his feet. "Still trying to get used to those, hm?"

Ray, when not leaning almost entirely on Ryan, he was tripping over the heels that were a little tight on his feet as they made their way down the two flights of stairs to their car parked outside. Ray sighed in relief as he sat down in the passenger seat, taking all and any weight away from the balls of his feet. Ryan's smirk never left his face as he helped his love to the car, he chuckled at the muttered curses and insults, never stopping Ray once to tell him to quit it. The car ride was filled with excited chatter between the couple about the upcoming party, and as they pulled into the parking lot of the Rooster Teeth office, Ray looked to Ryan and spoke. "Do I really look okay?"

Ryan smiled at him, leaning over to kiss his lips and his cheek. "Ray, you look absolutely amazing in that costume. The curves, the makeup... It's a pleasant change. I like it. If you can survive the night until we get home, I'll show you just how much I love the way you look tonight.." Ryan pressed a kiss to the crook of Ray's jaw, making him shiver. The Puerto Rican nodded and turned Ryan's cheeks to face him as he kissed the taller slowly. They stepped out on their respective sides, only for Ray to lean against the car. Ryan took his lover's hand and pressed yet another kiss to his cheeks as they made their way to the front of the building and in through the entrance.

"I mean it, you look beautiful Ray--"

The Puerto Rican held up a hand. "It's Sandy tonight, Danny." Ray smirked. "Common, big boy, let's go boogie by the jukebox or some shit."

Ryan laughed a little. "Yes ma'am."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow this was a shitty chapter ew  
> I had no inspiration or wanting to do this particular chapter so sorry if it sucks huge anus


End file.
